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Amidst the excitement, the mayor suggested killing some pigs. His logic went something like this: Bulgaria’s second city was about to become a European Capital of Culture, so wouldn’t it be neat to slay and roast a couple of oinkers in the main square, just like the ol’ days.

Locals deemed the faded wintertime tradition unbefitting of a cultural capital. A public backlash followed, resulting in the pigs being pardoned and the mayor claiming it had all been a “social experiment”. That’s cleared that up, then.

It’s not the first time the mayor has found himself on the defensive. Without getting too drawn into parochial politics, much ire has been directed at his office lately due to the overrunning...

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